Proof dryer



N0V 9, 1965 R. F. NowAK, JR., ETAL 3,216,128

PROOF DRYER Filed Maron 2o, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l L:2 QM? a n /76 ,VV/oleN/SYS R. F. NowAK, JR., ETAL 3,216,128

PROOF DRYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D M j RJ Nov. 9, 1965 Filed March 20, 1962 PROOF DRYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 20, 1962 United States Patent O 3,216,128 PROOF DRYER Raymond F. Nowak, Jr., Mundelein, and Thomas A. Wisniewski, Northbrook, Ill., assignors to Vandercook & Sons, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 181,038 4 Claims. (Cl. 34-120) This invention relates to a proof dryer and was evolved with the general object of providing a fast, efficient, rugged, reliable, compact, simple, economically constructed and readily operated dryer.

In the dryer of this invention, an elongated heat lamp is used, preferably an infrared lamp of the type comprising a filament mounted in a tube of quartz which will readily pass infrared radiation. The lamp is mounted in spaced relation to one side portion of a continuously rotatable drum and a proof is held against the one side of the drum to be moved from one position to another by the drum while being dried by the heat lamp. With this comparatively simple arrangement, the proof is rapidly and eiciently dried.

Additional features of the invention relate to means for receiving and guiding the proof, an arrangement of pressure rollers in a manner such as to insure smooth feed of the proof without wrinkling, and the support and dnive of elements in a manner such as to obtain a rugged and reliable dryer which can be readily operated.

It is noted that although the dryer is particularly designed for the drying of freshly inked sheets such as obtained from proof presses, the term proof is used herein in a generic sense to include equivalent forms of sheets.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a sheet dryer consrtucted in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line II-II of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line III-III of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial `sectional view illustrating the inclination Iof the plane of pressure rollers with respect to a drum axis.

Reference numeral generally designates a proof dryer constructed according to this invention. In operation, a proof to be dried is laid fiat on the horizontal surface of a tray 11 on one slide of a rectangular housing 12, with one edge 0f the proof (the right-hand edge as viewed in FIGURE l) bearing against an upstanding iiange 13 on the side of the tray 11. The proof is then moved forwardly into the housing until the forward edge thereof is engaged between a surface portion on the upper side of a continuously rotating drum 14 and a pair of pressure rollers 15 and 16. The proof is then moved by the continuously rotating drum 14 until it emerges from the opposite side of the housing 12. The roller 16 has a fixed position adjacent the right-hand end of the drum 14, as Viewed in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, while the position of roller 15 is adjustable along the drum in accordance with the width of the proof.

To dry the proof, a heat lamp 17 is positioned in spaced parallel relation over the drum 14. The lamp 17 is preferably an infrared heat lamp of the type including a suitable filament disposed in a tube of quartz, which will readily transmit infrared radiations. A reector 18 of semi-circular cross-section is disposed over the lamp 17 to concentrate the heat onto the proof. With this ar- 3,216,128 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 lCe rangement, rapid and uniform drying of the proof is obtained.

To support the lamp 17, the opposite ends thereof are inserted in receptacles 19 and 20 respectively secured to an end wall 21 of the housing 12 and to fan upright partition 22 within the housing. A flange 23 at the lower end of the partition is bolted to a bottom wall 24 of the housing, while the upper end of the partition 22 is bolted to a down-turned fiange 25 on one end of a horizontal channel member 26 having a flange 27 at its opposite end bolted to the end Wall 21 of the housing.

The horizontal channel member 26 is disposed slightly below a top wall 28 of the housing and the rollers 15 and 16 are supported therefrom. In particular, a pair of in verted L-shaped members 29 :and 30 are provided having horizontal legs 31 and 32 engaged within the underside o-f the channel 26 and having downwardly projecting legs 33 and 34 which have slots 35 and 36 in the lower ends thereof to receive levers 37 and 38 pivotally supported by pins 39 and 40. The rollers 15 and 16 are rotatably supported in slots in the inner ends of the levers 37 and 38, while the outer ends of the levers 37 and 38 are connected through coiled tension springs 41 and 42 to the upper ends of the .members 29 and 30, iso as to apply forces urging the rollers 15 and 16 into lpressure engagement with the drum 14.

The horizontal legs 31 and 32 of the L-shaped members 29 and 30 'are respectively secured into the underside of the channel member 26 by a thumb screw member 43 and a bolt 44. The thumb screw member 43 has a reduced diameter threaded lower end portion 45 extending through a slot 46 in the channel member 26 and an enlarged diameter knurled upper end portion 47 extending through a slot 48 in the top wall 28 of the housing. By loosening the thumb screw 43 slightly, the left-hand roller 15 may be adjusted to any desired position, according to the width of a proof, after which it may be tightened to fix the position of the roller 15.

An important feature is that t-he rollers 15 and 16 are canted outwardly at slight angles 51 and 52 with respect t-o planes transverse to the axis of the drum 14, as shown in FIGURE 4. Preferably, each angle 51, 52 is on the order of 3. With this arrangement, a side-wise pulling or stretching action is produced on the proof being processed to insure against the formation of wrinkles in the portion of the proof under the lamp 17 and to thereby insure uniformity in drying.

To support the reflector 18, it is formed with an integral portion 55 extending angularly downwardly and toward the axis side of the housing, and a plate 56 is secured along the upper side of the portion 55 in spaced relation to the lower edge thereof, in a manner to define a slot which receives a iiange portion 57 of a plate member 58 having flanges at opposite ends thereof secured to brackets 59 and 60 which, in turn, are respectively secured to the end wall 21 and the partition 22.

A downwardly inclined exit guide plate 61 -has end anges secured to the ybrackets 59 and 60 and has on its upper edge a knife edge member 62 engaged with the drum for insuring separation of a proof from the drum. Member 62 is maintained in light pressure engagement with the drum 14 by the inherent resiliency of the plate 61 and is preferably of a material such as to minimize friction, most preferably bronze.

It will be appreciated that the plate members 58 and 61 together define an exit opening from the housing 12.

To support and guide t-he sheet onto the drum 14, the inner edge portion ofthe tray 11 overlies a plate 64 supported by suitable lbrackets between the end wall 21 and the partition 22, the inner edge of the plate 46 being adjacent the upper surface of the drum 14. Another plate 65 is similarly supported above the plate 64 with its inner edge disposed slightly below the level of the outer ends of the levers 37 and 38 to insure against fouling of a proof at that point. VThe plates 64 and 65 thus define an entrance opening to the housing.

The drum 14 is supported on a shaft 67 journalled at one end by a bearing 68 supported from the bottom 24 'by a bracket 69 and at the other end by a bearing 70- carried by the upright partition member 22. The shaft 67 is coupled to a speed reduction unit 71 supported from the bottom Z4 .by a bracket 72, the speed reduction unit 71 being driven by an electric motor 73 which is supported on the unit 71. The unit 71 and motor 73 are in a space provided -between the partition 22 and an end Wall 7S of the housing. A cooling fan 76 is preferably driven by the motor.

Suitable electrical switches and wiring, not shown, are provided for energizing the lamp 17 and the motor 73.

This invention thus provides a dryer which is fast, eicient, rugged, reliable, compact, simple, economically constructed and readily operated.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a proof dryer, a drum, an elongated heat lamp in spaced parallel relation to one side of said drum, means for rotating said drum, and a pair of disc-like pressure rollers for engaging and for holding opposite side edge portions of a proof against said one side of said drum to be fed by said drum from one position to another and to be heated and dried by said lamp, each of said rollers being canted outwardly at a slight angle with respect to a plane transverse to the axis of said drum to impart a pulling and stretching action on the proof and prevent formation of wrinkles therein, said rollers being interposed generally bet-Ween said one side of said drum and said heat lamp to impart the transverse stretching action to the proof in the area at which the heating and drying action of the lamp on the proof is greatest.

2.- A proof dryer for drying damp proofs comprising a housing, a drum mounted for rotation in said housing, means for rotating said drum, an elongated heat lamp mounted in said housing in spaced parallel relation to the upper portion of said drum, means dening an entrance opening in one side of said housing and comprising a lgenerally horizontal member disposed substantially tangentially to the top surface of said drum and in closed proximity to said drum and a spaced inclined member for directing said damp proofs downwardly towards said horizontal member, means defining an exit opening in a side opposite said one side of said housing and comprising a generally downwardly inclined rst member having a knife-edge portion in scraping abutting relation to said upper portion of said dr-um and a downwardly inclined second member in spaced relation to sai-d iirst member for directing dried proofs downwardlytoward said rst mem- Iber, a horizontal elongated channel member in said housing mounted in parallel relation to and disposed above said lamp, a pair of inverte-d L-shaped members depending downwardly from said channel member and having downwardly projecting legs, at least one of said L-shaped members being connected in sliding relation to said channel member and adapted for selective positioning and locking along t-he longitudinal axis of said channel member, levers pivotally engaged to said legs for movement in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said drum, disc-like rollers mounted for rotation at one end of said levers for abutting engagement with said upper portion of said drum, and `spring means connected to the other end of said levers an-d to said L-shaped members for imparting downward bias to said rollers for maintaining pressing engagement therewith to said drum.

3. In a proof dryer, a drum, means journalling said drum about a generally horizontal axis, means for rotating said drum, an elongated heat lamp in spaced parallel relation above one side of sai-d drum, and proof holding means for holding a proof against said one side of said tion on the proof and prevent formation of wrinkles therein, the diameters of each of said rollers being substantially greater than the axial width of the rollers to prevent creasing ofthe proof under the rollers.

4. In a proof dryer, a drum, means journalling said drum about a generally horizontal axis, means for rotating said drum, an elongated heat lamp in spaced parallel relation above one side of said drum, and proof holding means for holding a proof against said one side of said drum, said holding means comprising a pair of disc-like pressure rollers interposed .between said heat lamp and said one side of said drum and having respectively a peripheral wall to engage opposite side portions of the proof, said rollers each being canted outwardly at a slight angle with respect to a plane transverse to the axis of said drum to impart a pulling and stretching action on the proof and prevent formation of wrinkles therein, the diameters of each of said rollers being substantially greater than the axial width of the rollers to prevent creasing of the proof under the rollers, the peripheral walls of said rollers being convexly shaped to minimize the area of contact with the proof to further prevent creasing of the proof under the rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,753,033 4/30 Taveira 226-17 3,008,242 11/61 sites 34- 1 3,082,541 3/63 Moore 34-112 FOREIGN PATENTS 883,178 3/43 France.

415,696 5/33 Great Britain.

PERCY L. PATRICK, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PROOF DRYER, A DRUM, AN ELONGATED HEAT LAMP IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO ONE SIDE OF SAID DRUM, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM, AND A PAIR OF DISC-LIKE PRESSURE ROLLERS FOR ENGAGING AND FOR HOLDING OPPOSITE SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF A PROOF AGAINST SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID DRUM TO BE FED BY SAID DRUM FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER AND TO BE HEATED AND DRIED BY SAID LAMP, EACH OF SAID ROLLERS BEING CANTED OUTWARDLY AT A SLIGHT ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF SAID DRUM TO IMPART A PULLING AND STRETCHING ACTION ON THE PROOF AND PREVENT FORMATION OF WRINKLES THEREIN, SAID ROLLERS BEING INTERPOSED GENERALLY BETWEEN SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID DRUM AND SAID HEAT LAMP TO IMPART THE TRANSVERSE STRETCHING ACTION TO THE PROOF IN THE AREA AT WHICH THE HEATING AND DRYING ACTION OF THE LAMP ON THE PROOF IS GREATEST. 